Many manufacturing processes require the input of continuous materials such as coils, straps, etc. These materials are typically supplied in spools that are paid out during fabrication of a product. For example, transformer coil making machines require a continuous feed of coil material, wherein numerous turns of the coil material are wrapped onto a core. To prevent jamming and otherwise improve machine performance, it is advantageous to supply the coil material at a relatively constant tension.
Thus there is a need in the art for a dereeler having automated control of tension to provide relatively constant tension within predefined ranges.